Sermons from 2015

VIII. The digital revolution has provided an easy platform to say, share, and gossip too much online. A. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are venues where one can from the “secure island” of his computer blab things he should not and would not normally have the opportunity to in real life. B. The definition of twitter is telling. 1. twitter: Of a bird: To utter a succession of light tremulous notes; to chirp continuously with a tremulous effect. b. transf. Of a person: To sing after th...

D. Another common doctrine of Word-Faith teaching is that Jesus died not only physically but spiritually and was born again. His spiritual death consisted of being separated from God, becoming sin, and suffering in hell (per ACT 2:27, 31). Jesus was born again in hell and then rose from the dead (per COL 1:18). 1. “Why did he need to be begotten, or born? Because He became like we are, separated from God. Because He tasted spiritual death for every man. His spirit, His inner man, went to hell in our place....

XII. Having recently addressed the pornography problem in general and the clear dangers that the internet represents in that regard, including sexting, I choose here to limit my comments to the matter of cyber-sex and cyber-affairs. A. As a pastor, I have already seen the destruction of one marriage as a result of online behavior, and this was over ten years ago before the onset of today's mobile devices. B. “A recent study shows as many as one in five divorces now involve Facebook affairs.” (Dr. Archib...

L. Video games are highly addictive and some have serious consequences. 1. Dr. Hart in The Digital Invasion had this to say about video game playing and addiction: “As we write this book, it is estimated that 95 to 97 percent of our youth are playing video games of one sort or another.” (Dr. Archibald D. Hart, The Digital Invasion, p. 124) 2. “Video game addiction, also known as video game overuse is the extreme use of video games to the extent that it interferes with daily life. Gaming addiction is a f...

a. b. c. God's will is revealed in His word. EPH 5:17 c/w PSA 119:104. The Lord Jesus connected effectual prayer with His words abiding in us. JOH 15:7. When we pray according to the Scriptures we may be assured that our prayers When God Says “No” A. Consider that God not giving you what you ask for now may not mean that God has altogether said “no.” God’s answer may be “not now.” 1. Although God promises to answer prayers that are according to His will, He answers them in His time. 2. It is the sc...

Chapter 3 A. This chapter has the most concentrated discourse in Scripture on the government of the tongue. B. Outside of this chapter, this epistle addresses speech issues many times (1:6; 1:13; 1:19; 1:26; 2:3; 2:7; 2:12; 2:16; 2:18; 4:3; 4:11; 4:13; 4:15; 4:16; 5:12; 5:13; 5:14; 5:15; 5:16; 5:17; 5:18). C. James is continuing his warning against vain religion, the tongue being very central to that. JAM 1:19, 26. D. James continues his theme about worthless superficialities in religion. 1. Hearing ...

How God Saved Us “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus...” (1CO 1:30) I. Scripture declares that God foresaw the fall of man and so set in motion a plan of salvation based upon His own will and effort, not man's. EPH 1:3-7. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Man under sin is anything but holy and blameless. ROM 3:9-18. Man's will is corrupt; he is sold under sin and free from righteousness. ROM 7:14; 6:20; PSA 10:4. Man's works are corrupt, even his good ones. ISA 64:6. Laws cannot change his nature nor be kept fl...

vs. 3-12. A. James continues his discourse on the government of the tongue by rich illustrations of observable things and phenomena. 1. The controlled tongue means a controlled body. JAM 3:2. 2. The uncontrolled tongue defiles the whole body. v. 6 c/w ECC 5:6; MAT 15:17-20. a. Sinful passions of the heart when vented by the tongue can empower bodily sins. b. (1CO 15:33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 3. What is said here about the tongue's influence upon man's natural body ...

vs. 13-18. A. James continues with his warnings against inconsistency of source and product, setting in contrast again the different sources of good and evil. c/w JAM 1:13-17. 1. Expressed wisdom and knowledge may be born of envy and strife, sourced from below. 2. Expressed wisdom and knowledge may be born of meekness and purity, sourced from above. 3. If a man be born from above (JAM 1:18), his expressed wisdom and knowledge should accord with that and NOT be “...earthly, sensual, devilish” (v. 15). ...

Deuteronomy 23:1 I. It will be helpful to remember that we are under a New Covenant. HEB 12:24. A. The first covenant has thus been made the old covenant. HEB 8:13. B. The old covenant is abolished by Christ's death. EPH 2:15. C. No such regulation as DEU 23:1 exists under the New Covenant. II. This law forbade a male with a physical defect in his genitalia from entering into the congregation of the LORD. A. A bastard (one begotten and born out of wedlock; an illegitimate or natural child) was likewi...

Feetwashing I. Feetwashing was ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ. JOH 13:1-17. A. This rite is particularly intended for the church, inasmuch as it was done to disciples (v. 5) as an example of something to be done amongst themselves. vs. 14-15. B. Christ's disciples were commanded to do as He had done unto them. 1. He had washed their feet. 2. He had then wiped their feet with the towel wherewith He was girded. 3. THIS is what disciples are to do one to another. C. Jesus said they would be happy in...

Chapter 4. vs. 1-5. A. Consider the dynamics which James addressed in this epistle relative to class differential. 1. There were rich of high degree and poor of low degree. JAM 1:9-10. 2. Partiality was being shown to the rich. JAM 2:1-4. 3. The wicked rich were oppressing the poor at law and in employment. JAM 2:6; 5:4-6. 4. The worldly-wise were given to envy and strife. JAM 3:14-16. 5. The worldly-wise who were not rich wanted a bigger slice of life but rather than acquire it by godly means like p...

vs. 6-10. A. Set forth here is the antidote to this world and an escape from the corruption that is in it through lusts (2PE 1:4). 1. Mind that Jesus did not pray that disciples should be prematurely taken out of this world as an antidote (JOH 17:15). We are rather to occupy till He comes. LUK 19:13 c/w JAM 5:7. 2. Neither are we to deem lawful things as unlawful and defiling, including lawful diets, relationships or efforts in personal advancement in life. 1TI 4:1-3; LUK 16:9. 3. Neither are we to p...

vs. 11-12. A. Instruction is given again about speech. Brethren are commanded to not speak evil of one another. 1. Evil speaking consists of such things as false witness, false accusation, slander, whispering, backbiting, talebearing, cursing, deceit (which were noted previously). 2. Given the ambitious materialism and envy which was afoot, it is likely that defamatory speech had been a major issue in the exploitation of their own brethren. JAM 5:6. 3. Such evil speaking is commensurate with the earth...

Psalm 112:4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness... I. Light is a very desirable thing. PRO 15:30; ECC 11:7. A. light: The natural agent or influence which evokes the functional activity of the organs of sight. B. To be without light is to be without direction. JOB 12:24-25; JOH 11:9-10; 12:35; 1JO 2:9-11. C. We need a vision to guide us or we perish. PRO 29:18. D. God's light leads us through the darkness that we experience in this world. JOB 29:1-5. II. Although darkness is a prob...

Chapter 5. vs. 1-6. A. James here rebukes the ungodly rich who oppress. 1. Such as these drew the poor brethren before the judgment seats. JAM 2:6. 2. Such as these were given preferential treatment in the assembly. JAM 2:1-4. 3. Such as these blasphemed the name of Christ. JAM 2:7. 4. Such as these exploited their brethren for financial gain. JAM 5:4. 5. Such as these were defined by pleasure and voluptuousness. JAM 5:5. 6. Such as these were responsible for the death of just brethren. JAM 5:6. 7....

vs. 7-11. A. James here sets forth the proper reaction to the injustices of life that might provoke the believer to fret, do something foolish, or abandon faith. ECC 5:8 c/w PSA 37:1-8. 1. The Psalmist admitted that he had almost slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. PSA73:1-3. a. What saved him was the “big picture” of God's rewards to the righteous and to the wicked. PSA73:17-28. b. Jesus taught that God intends to bear long with His elect before He avenges them of injustices in this wo...

v. 12. A. James gives warning against swearing. 1. swear: To make a solemn declaration or statement with an appeal to God or a superhuman being, or to some sacred object, in confirmation of what is said; to take an oath. 2. James' words are what Jesus taught. MAT 5:33-37. 3. Part of the Holy Ghost's work in the apostles was to “...bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (JOH 14:26) so they could fulfill their commission from Christ. MAT 28:20. B. “But above all things....

vs. 13-20. A. Against all the errant uses of the tongue that James has addressed, the epistle closes by setting forth godly uses of the tongue in afflictions, merriness, sickness, faults and errors. B. v. 13 instructs believers as to how to respond to affliction or merriness. 1. This world is for us a mixture of affliction and joy. ECC 3:4; 7:14. a. Constant affliction discourages hope and hearing. EXO 6:9. b. Constant mirth stifles our development. ECC 7:2-6. 2. afflicted: Cast down, depressed, oppre...

vs. 19-20. A. James here encourages brethren to vigilance and mutual accountability to the truth, i.e., “...the truth of the gospel” (COL 1:5), not scientific, political, historical or philosophical “truth.” 1. These instructions contrast Cain's attitude, “...Am I my brother's keeper?” (GEN 4:9). 2. We are accountable to God for deliberately ignoring the destructive pathway of an erring brother. PRO 24:11-12; EZE 3:18. 3. It is an a. b. c. d. e. act of hatred to willingly suffer sin upon a brother....

The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) 1. Christ here makes a conniving lawyer come to terms with the just application of the law. A. The account of the good Samaritan was due to the lawyer's leading questions. vs. 25, 29. B. The lawyer was more interested in justifying himself than God---an attitude which keeps one out of the kingdom of God. LUK 7:29-30. C. The lawyer's crafty ways are turned back upon himself; his own mouth was witness against himself. 1CO 3:19; LUK 19:22. D. By sound reasoning the mo...

v. 1. Abram's Shield and Reward (Genesis 15:1-6) A. “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram...” B. Abram had just completed a successful armed engagement against the confederacy of kings which had taken Lot captive. GEN 14:1-16. 1. What the military of corrupt Sodom and Gomorrah had not been able to accomplish (GEN 14:10-11), a small trained force under God-honoring leadership had done. GEN 14:14-16. 2. An observation: a. God's compromising children, like Lot, are likely to be tak...

Commitment to the Truth I. A gospel ministry should reflect that of the Lord Jesus Christ's. A. He is the truth. JOH 14:6. B. He came to bear witness of the truth. JOH 18:37; ROM 15:8. C. His ministers are charged to teach and command what He taught and commanded. MAT 28:19-20 c/w ROM 9:1; GAL 2:14. D. Truth and its minister will not always be popular. JOH 3:20-21; GAL 4:16. 1. One may be called to stand alone for the truth's sake. 1KI 18:19; JER 15:17. 2. One cannot please men and serve Christ. GAL...

Abortion and Gay Marriage - The Judgment of God I. A misunderstanding of the judgment of God. 1. Christians often say that God will judge our country for allowing abortion and gay marriage. 2. The truth is that God has judged our country by allowing abortion and gay marriage. II. An effective method of deception is to use euphemisms. 1. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom." - Confucius 2. Abortion and gay marriage are both euphemisms. 3. Euphemism n. - 1. Rhet. That figure o...

The Sermon I Would Preach to a Room Full of Heathen I. The following facts often cause Christians to wonder how they should go about witnessing to unbelievers: 1. Men enter this world as spiritual stillborns, dead in trespasses and sins (Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1). A. In this state they cannot hear (Joh 8:43-47), understand (1Co 1:18; 1Co 2:14), nor believe the gospel (Joh 10:26). B. The majority of people we meet are in this state (Mat 7:13-14). 2. God doesn't love everyone (Psa 5:5; Rom 9:13). 3. Jesus di...

1 Corinthians 13 charity: Christian love: a. God's love to man; b. Man's love of God and his neighbour, commanded as the fulfilling of the Law, Matt. xxii. 37, 39; c. esp. The Christian love of our fellow-man; Christian benignity of disposition expressing itself in Christ-like conduct; one of the 'three Christian graces' fully described by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. (Oxford English Dictionary) I. This chapter is renowned as the “love chapter” of Scripture. A. It was not that Paul just thought it would be nic...

B. There is, though, a qualification needed. 1. In EPH 5:25, Paul is speaking about the one-time death of Jesus Christ out of love to a spotted, unholy, blemished object. This is unconditional. EPH 5:26-27. 2. This was the covenant's legal establishment. As noted above, that aspect of Christ's love to the church will never be withdrawn. 3. Christ will never put away His bride. He has committed to love her. The marriage bond is eternal. 4. Husbands are to love their wives “...as Christ LOVED the church, ...

True Repentance I. repent: intr. To feel contrition, compunction, sorrow or regret for something one has done or left undone; to change one's mind with regard to past action or conduct through dissatisfaction with it or its results. A. Repentance involves emotion. 1. Shame obviously plays a vital role in repentance. JDG 18:7. 2. shame: The painful emotion arising from the consciousness of something dishonouring, ridiculous, or indecorous in one's own conduct or circumstances (or in those of others whos...

XIII. Consider A. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (v. 22). the duty of the wife to submit to her husband. EPH 5:22-24. Marriage Page 9  1. submit: To place oneself under the control of a person in authority or power; to become subject, surrender oneself, or yield to a person or his rule, etc. 2. Mind how this counters a tendency for a wife to be more willing to be submissive to a married male employer or law enforcement officer than her own husband. B. “Wives, sub...

God's Discrimination I. discriminate: To make or constitute a difference in or between; to distinguish, differentiate. (See EXO 11:7) II. Why do men find fault with God's discrimination when they regularly discriminate? A. Men make discriminating choices in religion, values, political leaders, purchases, associations, foods, residences, communities, charities, jobs, commitments, etc. B. Men choose one spouse to the disregard of many others. C. Men choose to adopt one needy child out of many. III. Thi...

XIV. Consider the duty of the husband to love his wife. EPH 5:25-31. A. Loving a wife should be an instinctive thing but Paul nevertheless commands it. 1. love: v. To bear love to. 2. love: sb. That disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his presence and desire for his approval; war...

Marriage I. This study is meant to be a refresher-course on what the Bible says about marriage and it is also somewhat of a book review. A. I recently read, “Loving Your Wife As Christ Loves the Church” by Larry E. McCall, pastor of Christ's Covenant Church in Winona Lake, Indiana. B. The book focuses on the husband's role in marriage, that he should follow the model of Jesus Christ Who loves His bride, the church. EPH 5:25-27. C. The book has a mixture of godly and practical advice for successful husba...

John 3:18 I. Those who affirm that the sinner's faith is an indispensable requirement and condition for acquiring eternal life commonly suppose JOH 3:18 supports their case. A. It is assumed that the sinner's faith causes one to be delivered from eternal condemnation and conversely that unbelief causes eternal condemnation. B. Other scriptures demand that the foregoing explanation cannot be the correct interpretation of the passage. 1. Remember that all Scripture is to considered. 2TI 3:16. 2. Rememb...

The Deception of Goodness 1. This study is in no way intended to discourage the pursuit of goodness. But it is designed to show that many justify a rejection of truth on the ground of their own goodness. Such persons reason that they are too good to be so wrong. This study is designed to teach believers to see that beyond the veneer of an impressive goodness often lurks proud rebellion against God. 2. This study is extremely important because we can be tempted to lessen our estimation of the importance of...

On Death I. Scripture refers to various things as death: A. Spiritual death in trespasses and sin. GEN 2:17; EPH 2:1. B. Separation from fellowship and accord with God. JAM 5:19-20; EPH 5:14; 1TI 5:6; REV 3:1. C. Physical death. JAM 2:26. D. Reproductive death. ROM 4:19. E. The second death or eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. REV 20:14; 21:8. F. Death of delusions of righteousness. ROM 7:7-9. G. Legal death TO sin and practical mortification (depriving of life) of self and flesh. R...

V. Death and the grave are the great leveller of men. They are the common home of all, good or bad. On Death 8-29-15 Page 2 They are unimpressed by earthly distinctions and accomplishments. ECC 9:2-3; JOB 21:23-26; 3:16-19. A. The grave is man's long home. JOB 17:13; ECC 12:5. B. It is a land of darkness and disorder from which no sinner can will his spirit back. 2SAM 12:23; 14:14; JOB 10:21-22; ECC 8:8. C. Then, the grand thoughts of man perish. PSA 146:4 c/w JAM 4:13-14. 1. All of natural man's sch...

The Importance Of A Day I. Introduction A. Have you ever talked to someone about a doctrinal issue other than salvation itself who expressed that since it doesn’t directly impact salvation it doesn’t matter? B. For example, we shouldn’t argue about the days of creation since they do not directly impact salvation. C. “As long as we believe in Jesus Christ, that’s what’s important.” D. This message will demonstrate: 1. that such a notion is not biblical and undermines God’s word. a) that Jesus Christ ...

VIII. What happens when someone dies? Is that the end of existence or does something continue on? Do souls migrate after death or reincarnate? Do souls hibernate or “sleep” in an unconscious state when one dies? Is there a kind of “half-way house” after death for saints (e.g., purgatory)? A. LUK 16:19-31 provides insight which counters soul sleep, soul mortality, soul migration, soul detention, soul annihilation, reincarnation and purgatory. 1. Some (like Jehovah's Witnesses) affirm that this account is ...

X. Death and the grave met their match in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was manifest to destroy the works of the devil, and did so. 1JO 3:8 c/w HEB 2:14-15. A. Only Christ, by virtue of a perfect, sinless life had power to lay down His life and take it up again. JOH 10:17-18; ACT 2:24. B. As a show of His mighty power, the bodies of many sleeping saints arose likewise. MAT 27:51-53 c/w COL 2:15. C. In destroying the works of the devil, Christ took away: 1. the dominion of death. ROM 6:9. 2. ...

5. The body is sown in weakness and raised in power. a. As the body ages it becomes weaker until it succumbs to death which is the ultimate weakness, for the dead can do nothing. ECC 8:8; 9:10. b. The resurrection body will have power such that the present body has never had. c. The children of the resurrection will be equal to the angels of heaven who excel in strength. LUK 20:36; PSA 103:20. (1) One angel slew 185,000 men. 2KI 19:35. (2) They can hold the wind. REV 7:1. (3) They can fly swiftly. ...

Mental Defect v. Responsibility 1. Question: Can one who has been diagnosed as mentally sick be held responsible for his behavior? 2. This entire issue comes down to a fundamental difference between Christianity and the modern medical model. A. When these two schools of thought come into conflict, we must yield to God's school: Scripture. PSA 119:128; ROM 3:4. B. The medical model reduces all behavior to biological factors. Mental problems should be treated in the same way the body is treated. C. By...

Romans 4:5 I. ROM 4:5 is commonly theorized to teach that the sinner's faith is not a work on the part of the sinner since work is there juxtaposed to belief. A. The same crowd commonly affirms that eternal life is gained by grace and not works. B. They also affirm that the unsaved sinner is regenerated and acquires righteousness because of his belief. C. However, if ROM 4:5 is teaching that faith and work are always mutually exclusive concepts, then it is also teaching that a person should never do go...

Psalm 6 I. This is one of the Penitential Psalms, others being Psalms 32, 38, 51, 130. II. Although David does not specifically mention his iniquities, he is describing one who has sinned and is under judgment. c/w PSA 38:1-10. A. The Psalmist feels himself an object of God's intense anger. 1. God's wrath is revealed against sin. ROM 1:18. 2. God's wrath is VERY dreadful. NAH 1:6; PSA 76:7; ISA 57:16; HEB 10:30-31. B. He confesses weakness which results from sin. PSA 31:10. C. His bones and his soul ...

On Death I. Scripture refers to various things as death: A. Spiritual death in trespasses and sin. GEN 2:17; EPH 2:1. B. Separation from fellowship and accord with God. JAM 5:19-20; EPH 5:14; 1TI 5:6; REV 3:1. C. Physical death. JAM 2:26. D. Reproductive death. ROM 4:19. E. The second death or eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. REV 20:14; 21:8. F. Death of delusions of righteousness. ROM 7:7-9. G. Legal death TO sin and practical mortification (depriving of life) of self and flesh. R...

Timbits 4 1. 2SAM 12:24-25. Solomon's arrival and names are briefly noted here. A. David named his son Solomon according to the word of God (1CH 22:7-9) and Nathan named him Jedidiah. (1) Solomon means, “peaceable or peaceful.” (2) Jedidiah means, “beloved of the LORD.” (3) This child/seed of David was an eminent type of Christ, the son of David (MAT 1:1) of Whom the LORD said, “...This is my beloved Son...” (MAT 3:17) and Who is named, “...The Prince of Peace” (ISA 9:6). (4) The beloved Son is als...

The Faithful Saying of 2 Timothy 2:11-13 1. This is one of four faithful sayings that Paul gives. The others are found in 1TI 1:15; 1TI 4:8-9; TIT 3:8. 2. These verses comprise the faithful saying that Paul introduces in v. 11. A. faithful: Full of or characterized by faith, believing. 5. Of persons and their actions: That may be believed or relied upon; trustworthy, veracious. Also of things: Reliable. 6. True to the fact or original, accurate. B. This saying sums up God's faithful dealings with His ...

Thanksgiving 1. Definitions. A. thank: v. To give thanks to; to express gratitude or obligation to. B. thank: sb. 1. Thought. 2. Favourable thought or feeling, good will. 3. Kindly thought or feeling entertained towards any one for favour or services received; grateful thought, gratitude. 4. The expression of gratitude; the grateful acknowledgement of a benefit or favour. C. gratitude: The quality or condition of being grateful; a warm sense of appreciation of kindness received, involving a feeling of ...

Choosing Wise Burdens I. Christians do well to seek to understand God’s will for their lives. EPH 5:17; ROM 12:2. A. God’s precepts are the benchmark of understanding. PSA 119:34, 104, 128. B. Proper understanding should give us a holy love of biblical burdens and a holy loathing of unbiblical burdens. C. The teachings of Christ and His apostles are the supreme guide for a life that is well- pleasing to God. 1TH 4:1-2. II. Christ’s burden is light. MAT 11:28-30; LUK 10:40-42. A. By contrast, Pharise...

The Office of Elder I. Consider the names of the pastoral office. ACT 20:17, 28; TIT 1:5, 7; EPH 4:11; 1CO 4:1-2. A. elder: An elder person, lit. or fig.; a parent; an ancestor, forefather; a person superior in age, senior. B. presbuteros (Strong's G4245): Also means a term or rank or office. Among the Christians, those who presided over the churches. (TDNT) C. A pastor is senior by virtue of office rather than age. D. An elder may be a young man. 1TI 4:12. II. Consider the following definitions: A...